5 Lessons I Learned From My First Deer

The first deer, what a life experience. As random as it may be, I always said killing a deer (on purpose, without using my car to do so) was just something that I wanted to do before I died, at least once. Today I got my shot, literally. It taught me more than I could have expected or anticipated.

1. Be patient. Good things don’t come fast. Sometimes, you just have to be quiet and wait. When you least expect it, what you’re looking for might wander into your cross hairs.2. Be grateful. Thank God for his bountiful blessings and never forget he’s the ultimate provider and the reason we’re all here. Give thanks for the people in your life that allow you to have positive experiences. It wasn’t my land or my gun, so I could not have done it without a good friend by my side willing to give me his time.3. Take the shot. Did I expect to put old split toes on the ground the first time I saw him in the wild? No. Actually, absolutely not. But I aimed my gun, waited for the right moment, grunted and squeezed the trigger. I surprised myself when I hit the target dead on and everything went exactly the way you’d want it to, even when I had doubts in myself.4. Work hard. When the initial shock and excitement wears off, it’s time to get the job done. You have to carry it back and work to get what you came for. Fun fact: it isn’t easy (and in this case, it’s sort if gross).5. Don’t waste it. Enjoy the moment and take it in. Most importantly, don’t let what you’ve been blessed with go to waste – use everything that you’ve been given and don’t take it for granted.

Maybe not everyone has “kill a deer” on their bucket list, but I hope that the simple lessons I learned in the woods can be applied to those mountains you’d like to climb. Get out there and make it happen. The feeling is indescribable.